Telegraph Sport first revealed Arsenal’s interest in Giroud in April, with Wenger asking Gilles Grimandi, his chief scout in France, to compile a report on a player who finished the season as the leading scorer in the French league.

“He has a very good physical presence and is exceptional in the air, with a great work ethic,” said Wenger.

Arsenal will pay Montpellier £12 million for Giroud, 25, who yesterday signed a four-year contract which is worth around £60,000-a-week.

He came off the bench for his debut against Leicester and threatened the North Bank regulars with his scattergun shooting.

He took nine games to open his Arsenal account but a brace against Derby announced his arrival as a decent finisher.

Within a few years he was regarded as the best striker in the world.

The North Bank could stop ducking and start celebrating.

We all know it's a description of the greatest Gunner ever—Thierry Henry.

He is an example of how you can go from zero to hero.

Olivier's shots per league goal (9.4) is wayward, but it's in the same ballpark as Jermain Defoe (10.4) and Carlos Tévez (8.5).

The two aforementioned players are seasoned Premier League forwards. Giroud, on the other hand, went from being the man at Montpellier to Arsenal. He isn't even guaranteed a starting gig every week with the North London club.

Just look at Olivier's history and you'll see a familiar pattern—he takes time to acclimatise to a new environment.

The Frenchman exponentially improved in his second season with Tours and Montpellier.

Olivier Giroud isn't a game-changer

Don't downplay what Olivier brings just because he doesn't glide past players like Luis Suárez or persistently pop up in the right place at the right time like Michu.

Giroud leads the team in aerial duels won per game (3.9) and his four assists in the UEFA Champions League suggest he can replicate his all-round displays from Ligue 1 in the Premier League.

Olivier Giroud Is Arsenal's Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba was a late-bloomer when he rose to Ligue 1 stardom, before making an ambitious move to England.

Sound familiar?

It's also Olivier Giroud's story.

What the Arsenal forward is experiencing right now is what Didier endured in his first season as a Chelsea footballer.

He spent portions of the campaign watching Eidur Gudjohnsen play, despite being the reigning Ligue 1 player of the year.

Oh, and to add further debate amongst Chelsea supporters, former Blues great Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink outscored (13) the Ivorian (10) in the league for an attack-minded Middlesbrough side.

Drogba was unfairly targeted even though he offered an extra dimension for José Mourinho (via The Star Online; September 16, 2004):

Mourinho has put his reputation on the line.

British newspapers dubbed him arrogant after he praised his own coaching abilities and told them he deserved respect for winning the Champions League.

They also criticised his £24 million signing of Marseille striker Didier Drogba as a waste of money.

Reflecting on his time with CFC, Drogba emphasised how important José Mourinho was (via James Riach at The Guardian): "He [Mourinho] did a lot of things for me during that moment where I had a lot of critics. He was supporting me and helping me. He signed me for Chelsea and did everything."

If Arsène Wenger has Giroud's back (which Le Professeur probably does), the former Montpellier striker will be able to turn things around à la Drogba.

But mark my words, Olivier Giroud is starting to look more and more like a good looking Didier Drogba. Even got the diving bit right haha.